Amie Harwick autographs her book The New Sex Bible for Women in 2014

Amie Nicole Harwick (May 20, 1981 – February 15, 2020) was an American marriage and family therapist and writer. Known for her work with clients in West Hollywood, she authored The New Sex Bible for Women: The Complete Guide to Sexual Self-Awareness and Intimacy (2014) and regularly discussed her work on podcasts, TV, and her YouTube channel. In 2018, she was briefly the fiancée of comedian Drew Carey. During the final years of her life, she worked with Pineapple Support, a nonprofit organization that provides mental health support to members of the adult film industry.

At age 38, Harwick was murdered by an ex-boyfriend at her Hollywood Hills apartment. Her killer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Biography

Adopted as a child,[1] Harwick grew up in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, graduating from North Penn High School in 1999.[2] After marrying a heavy metal musician, she moved to Los Angeles in 2001.[3] In her early career, she worked as a personal trainer under the name Amie Nicole, releasing a workout DVD titled Amie Nicole's Fit to Rock.[3] To help pay for educational expenses, she worked multiple side jobs, including as a go-go dancer, bartender, and model;[3] she modeled for Playboy[4] under the name Nicolette Novak.

After completing a degree in psychology at California State Polytechnic University, Harwick earned a Master of Arts in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University and received a Ph.D. from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (a non-accredited institution). She became a well-known marriage and family therapist in West Hollywood, where she specialized in family and sex counseling.[5] She regularly appeared on podcasts, TV, and her YouTube channel to discuss her work.[6] In 2014, she published a book, The New Sex Bible for Women: The Complete Guide to Sexual Self-Awareness and Intimacy.[7] In 2015, she was featured in the documentary film Addicted to Sexting.[8]

At a party in the summer of 2017, Harwick, then aged 35, met comedian Drew Carey, then aged 58. Several weeks later, they went on their first date to Disneyland.[9] They announced their engagement in January 2018,[10] but ended their relationship amicably later that year.[8] After her death, Carey told NBC News that she had been "a positive force in the world and an unapologetic champion of women."[11]

In the final years of her life, Harwick worked with Pineapple Support, a nonprofit organization that provides mental health support in the adult entertainment industry.[3] She also served on the board of directors of Rock to Recovery, a nonprofit organization that treats addiction and mental health issues with music therapy.[12]

Murder

On the evening of Valentine's Day 2020, Harwick attended a burlesque performance, returning to her Hollywood Hills apartment shortly after 1:00 a.m. on February 15.[3] At 1:16 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department responded to an emergency call by Harwick's roommate. When the responding officers arrived at the scene, Harwick's roommate met them outside the apartment building and stated that Harwick was being assaulted in the apartment.[3][13][14] The officers found Harwick badly injured and unresponsive on the patio beneath her third-floor balcony; she was later pronounced dead at a hospital.[13] An initial investigation found that she had been strangled and thrown from the balcony after a home invasion.[4]

Police arrested 41-year-old Gareth Pursehouse, a software engineer, photographer, and aspiring comedian who had dated Harwick for around 18 months in the early 2010s.[3] After she ended the relationship, he reportedly began stalking and harassing her;[15] she twice sought restraining orders against him.[16][14] A month before her death, Harwick encountered Pursehouse at the XBIZ Awards, an adult entertainment awards ceremony, where he was working as a photographer.[14] Her friends witnessed him confronting her and accusing her of ruining his life.[17]

Pursehouse was charged with Harwick's murder, with the special circumstance of lying in wait, breaking and entering, and home burglary.[18] His trial began on August 29, 2023. Prosecutors gave evidence that Pursehouse had broken into Harwick's apartment, waited for several hours until she returned home, and then punched her, strangled her, and threw her off the third-floor balcony, inflicting blunt force trauma to the head and torso that caused her death.[19] He had brought a syringe containing a lethal amount of nicotine to her apartment, although it was unused.[13] On September 29, 2023, a jury convicted Pursehouse of first-degree murder.[19] On December 6, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.[20] Pursehouse was also ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution.[21]

Appearances

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Devil's Muse Jeannette Bauer[22] listed Amie Nicole
2016 Noirland Dr. Anouschka Berman listed as Amie Nicole

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Blabber Box Mechanic's Girlfriend Episode: "3"

References

  1. ^ "Blood, a broken necklace and a poison-filled syringe are evidence in Amie Harwick's violent death". CBS News. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  2. ^ "Obituary for Amie Nicole Harwick at Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home, Inc". www.huffandlakjer.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Dickson, E. J. (March 10, 2020). "Inside the Bright Life of a Murdered Hollywood Sex Therapist". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Holcombe, Madeline; Moon, Sarah (February 20, 2020). "Amie Harwick was strangled before she was thrown over balcony, autopsy finds". CNN. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Stuart, Gwynedd (February 17, 2020). "Colleagues and Friends React to the Murder of Hollywood Sex Therapist Dr. Amie Harwick". Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  6. ^ "Drew Carey mourns death of ex-fiancée Amie Harwick". February 18, 2020. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  7. ^ The New Sex Bible for Women: The Complete Guide to Sexual Self-Awareness and Intimacy. Quiver. November 2014. ISBN 978-1592336418.
  8. ^ a b Read, Bridget (April 17, 2020). "What We Know About the Death of Amie Harwick". The Cut. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  9. ^ Prior, Sarah (December 7, 2023). "Drew Carey heard from former fiancée Amie Harwick out of the blue just two days before her untimely death - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  10. ^ Sblendorio, Peter (January 31, 2018). "Drew Carey engaged to Dr. Amie Harwick". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  11. ^ "Ex-boyfriend arrested in death of celebrity sex therapist Amie Harwick, LAPD says". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  12. ^ Harris, Chris (February 21, 2020). "Slain Therapist Amie Harwick Was a 'Totally Unique Person' Who Lived to Help Others, Say Friends". People.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c "Amie Harwick's ex ordered to trial for her death as court hears he had lethal syringe". The Independent. March 10, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c Martinez, Christian (September 30, 2023). "Man convicted of killing well-known therapist Amie Harwick by throwing her off balcony". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  15. ^ Baker, KC; Hanlon, Greg; Pelisek, Christine (April 3, 2020). "Hollywood Sex Therapist Amie Harwick Likely Fought for Life Before Being Thrown off Balcony: Autopsy". People.com. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  16. ^ Smith, Ryan (December 7, 2023). "Hollywood sex therapist's killer gets life in prison". Newsweek. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  17. ^ Law&Crime Network (August 30, 2023). ‘You Ruined My Life, You B*tch’: Amie Harwick’s Ex-Boyfriend Berated Her at Adult Event, Friend Says. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Drexler, Peggy (February 29, 2020). "The tragic details of the killing of Amie Harwick". CNN. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Oladipo, Gloria (December 7, 2023). "Ex-boyfriend given life without parole for murder of Hollywood therapist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  20. ^ "Hollywood marriage and sex therapist's ex-boyfriend sentenced to life in prison for her death". cbsnews.com. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Silver, Lauren (December 6, 2023). "Gareth Pursehouse sentenced for ex-girlfriend's murder". Court TV. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  22. ^ Abed, Ramzi, The Devil's Muse (Crime, Drama, Horror), Kristen Kerr, Lizzy Strain, Trent Haaga, Bloodshot Pictures, retrieved September 6, 2024
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amie_Harwick
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